Steam users are calling for Valve to change its current regional pricing system after "unfair" differences came to light – some that see local prices that are up to 20% or 30% higher than their United States dollar equivalents.
YouTuber Water CS2 points out these differences in a new video, aptly dubbed "Steam has a pricing problem." He uses the recent Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater as an example of the disparity, which he points out is "priced at $69.99 USD in the States." However, players in other regions, like Poland, are paying much more. "You would assume a fair price, roughly the equivalent of the dollar price," says Water CS2, "but instead it's 369.99 PLN."
Using Google's exchange rate "of approximately 3.66 PLN to $1 USD," he determines that the game costs over $101 in Poland when its price is converted to US dollars. "That makes the game roughly $31 more expensive than in the US," describes the YouTuber. "A whopping 30% increase. A Polish gamer is paying more than someone living in New York for the exact same digital file." This "significant price disparity for PC games" doesn't seem fair.
As Water CS2 points out, this issue isn't exclusive to just Metal Gear. "Local prices are often 20% to 30% higher than the dollar equivalent," he details, and it all boils down to Steam's regional pricing system. "The idea is great. Games shouldn't cost the same everywhere because $60 means something very different in the US than it does in Brazil. Valve uses complex economics like purchasing power parity to suggest lower prices in regions with less buying power."
In theory, this should make games "more accessible to a larger audience." But, as Water CS2 says, "The problem lies in the data Valve uses to make these suggestions." According to the YouTuber, Valve hasn't updated its conversion rates since 2022, when it first introduced the regional pricing system. At that point in time, "the Polish currency was near its weakest" – but Steam is still "using this weak old rate" from three years ago.
"The regional pricing system was meant to make games affordable, not expensive," Water CS2 concludes. This, unfortunately, doesn't seem to reflect the reality of how it's played out without any adjustments, though. "It is now a direct cause of the unfair prices Valve wanted to prevent in the first place. Valve must stop making excuses and fix its core pricing data immediately." The comments show users affected by said unfair prices agreeing.
"As a Polish man, thank you for covering this issue," reads one. "I'm a teen who doesn't have a lot of money, and it would be nice if the games were a bit cheaper for us." Another chimes in, "Thank you for covering this issue. We have been trying to reach English-speaking press and YouTubers to no avail." One adds, "Thanks for making a video on this, I'm tired of paying 20% more on everything just because of my currency on Steam."
Here's hoping Valve hears the community's complaints now and tweaks the regional pricing system to better reflect the current conversion rate, making things a bit fairer for all Steam users – regardless of their location.
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